Jeff Landry vetoes pardons for weed possession, 30 other bills. See which ones. (2024)

Gov. Jeff Landry has vetoed bills passed by the Legislature this year that would have made it easier for those convicted of marijuana possession to get pardoned, regulated deepfake technology and given more money to parishes housing carbon sequestration projects on certain state lands.

The governor has also vetoed dozens of other bills, including a bill that would have reduced payouts to the injured. He has 20 days after he receives a bill to decide whether to axe it. A two-thirds vote of the Legislature is required to override Landry’s vetoes.

State law automatically schedules a veto override session for 40 days after adjournment of the regular session, which ended June 3. But the session does not go forward if a majority of legislators in one chamber submit ballots to cancel it – as is typically the case.

House Bill 391

Among the vetoed bills is House Bill 391 by state Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, which would have allowed the governor to pardon certain offenders convicted of marijuana possession without a recommendation from the State Pardon Board.

Landry panned HB 391 in his veto message, calling it “an attempt to have Louisiana accept President Biden's invitation to the states to join his soft-on-crime, no-consequences-for-criminals agenda.”

Boyd said her proposal aimed to give people second chances and help them become productive members of society, such as by making it easier for them to get jobs that require background checks.

“It was simply just to create an avenue for those who may have had one bad mistake years ago,” Boyd said. “(The governor) would have had total authority on who could have (benefitted from) that.”

Only those found with less than 14 grams of marijuana would have been eligible under the bill.

House Bill 934

Landry also vetoed a bill that would have ensured local governments benefited financially when the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries leased land for a carbon sequestration project. Under the House Bill 934, 30% of proceeds from such a lease would have gone to the parish.

Rep. Jeremy LaCombe, R-Livonia, who sponsored the bill, previously said such rules already apply when other state agencies engage in such leases.

In his veto message, Landry said he supported sharing revenue from carbon sequestration projects but believed passing the bill would have changed constitutionally dedicated funds through a statute. Such funds are typically only reallocated after a public vote.

“(The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries) should be held to the same standard as every other state agency regarding revenue sharing from carbon dioxide sequestration projects,” LaCombe said in a statement. “I will be bringing legislation on this topic again next year and working with all stakeholders to ensure its constitutionality is unquestionable.”

Senate Bill 97

Meanwhile, Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, had convinced the Legislature to pass a bill prohibiting certain undisclosed uses of deepfake technology and artificial intelligence in election communications. Deepfakes have sparked national concerns over election integrity.

If an election-related email, video or mailer used such technology to create media that would falsely appear to be an authentic record of a candidate, Senate Bill 97 said, it would have to disclose the use of such technology.

Landry argued that the issue requires further study before it can be legislated, according to his veto message.

“While I commend the efforts to curb false political attacks, I believe this bill raises First Amendment concerns, particularly concerning emerging technologies,” the message says. “The legal landscape on this issue remains unsettled, and a thorough study of these technologies is needed before enacting such regulations.”

Below is a list of the other bills Landry has vetoed. Click the bill number to see a copy of his veto message.

• House Bill 20 by Rep. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, would have transferred the authority to administer funding for the Catahoula Parish Library from the police jury to the library board of control.
• House Bill 42 by Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, sought to amend laws regulating the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System.
• House Bill 116 by Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, would have expressly stated that personnel records of public employees are subject to inspection by members of the public. But certain records, including evaluation reports and information that could have put an employee in danger, would have still been confidential. When denying a public records request for a personnel record, agencies would have had to do more than simply cite a court case to justify the denial.
• House Bill 154 by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, would have prohibited the distribution of materials containing false audio, images or video of a political candidate “with the intent to deceive a voter or injure the reputation of a known candidate in an election.”
• House Bill 162 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, sought to limit the withdrawal of money from the Capital Outlay Savings Fund for capital outlay projects. Beaullieu proposed requiring withdrawals to occur to fund specific appropriations approved by the Legislature.
• House Bill 340 by Rep. Tammy Phelps, D-Shreveport, would have required local school districts to create systems to track parental complaints.
• House Bill 423 by Rep. Michael Melerine, R-Shreveport, would have reduced payouts to injured parties for medical expenses when injuries result in lawsuits.The bill pitted trial lawyers, who opposed the bill, against the business lobby.
• House Bill 646 by Rep. Francis Thompson, R-Delhi, sought to create a $1 million contract limit for work projects by the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. For any contracts over $50,000, the agency would have had to engage in a public bid process.
• Under House Bill 670 and Senate Bill 287 by Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, and Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, the state would have established a financing program to bring healthy foods to food deserts through grants and loans.
• House Bill 772 by Rep. Jerome Zeringue, R-Houma, would have given more authority to the Louisiana Cemetery Response Taskforce to address cemetery-related public health and safety risks.
• House Bill 884 by Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans, would have regulated social service contracts with public postsecondary education management boards.
• House Bill 898 by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, would have amended the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.
• House Bill 926 by Rep. Rodney Lyons, D-Marrero, dealt with the make-up and election of judges to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• House Bill 982 by Rep. Joy Walters, D-Shreveport, would have raised the number of members in the Louisiana Commission of Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice from 59 to 63.
• Senate Bill 68 by Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, would have enabled the Louisiana Supreme Court to appoint an ad hoc judge to preside over cases involving election challenges.
• Senate Bill 96 by Sen. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport, would have allowed Louisiana residents with limited internet access to register to vote online at their voter registrar’s office.
• Senate Bill 185 by Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, outlines plans for legislative extensions in civil, criminal and administrative cases.
• Senate Bill 186 by Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, would have regulated how city courts determine a chief judge by redefining continuous service.
• Senate Bill 192 by Senate President Pro Tempore Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, limited the numbers of members in the Empowering Families to Live Well Louisiana Council to no more than nine and no less than sevmen. Barrow listed members to add to the council, including a representatives chosen by the Baton Rouge Community College chancellor, the senator fro Senate District 15 and the state representative from House District 61.
• Senate Bill 333 by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, would have regulated mortgage enforcement.
• Senate Bill 408 by Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, focused on the development of economic districts. The bill would have allowed such districts to exclude “residential properties,” aside from businesses such as hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts.
• Senate Bill 477 by Sen. Samuel Jenkins, D-Shreveport, would have placed the Shreveport Water Works Museum under the jurisdiction of the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. Jenkins emphasized the area as a historical, scientific and cultural site for visitors to use as an educational resource.

Staff writer Sophia Bailly contributed to this report.